Evnis rode amongst the wide-spread trees, dappled sunlight slanting in from the east. His eyes constantly drifted out onto the meadow to where Braith and Rafe rode, the two grey hounds ahead of them. Beyond them sunlight glistened on a thousand waterways, the marshlands opening up like a jewel-crusted spider web of streams and rivers, fragmented by drab, impenetrable clusters of woodland.

Is Vonn truly out there? When Rafe had walked into the feast-hall and told him that Vonn was most likely back in Ardan it had hit him like a punch in the gut.

What will I say to him? Will I ask him for forgiveness? Will I scold him for a fool? He recoiled at that thought. No, I will not drive him away. Not again. I will reason with him. He has had a taste of the real world now, surely his notions of honour and glory have been doused with a good dose of reality.

‘My lord,’ Glyn said close by, startling him from his reverie.

‘What is it?’ Evnis asked, more irritably than he had intended.

‘Rafe’s coming.’

Indeed he was. Evnis raised his hand, his warband stuttering to a halt amongst the shadow-drenched woods.

‘Braith thinks you should join us,’ Rafe said as he entered beneath the first branches.

‘Why?’

‘Dogs are acting strange, and there’s something up ahead, in the distance. Looks like a tower.’

‘It may be one of Morcant’s. I received a message from him some time ago that he was considering building a series of watchtowers around the marshes. I told him to do whatever he liked, so long as it ended in rebels swinging from a noose.’ Laughter sputtered fitfully through the warriors at his back.

‘Maybe it’s one of them, then. But still, the dogs. Think we’re getting close to Halion.’

Evnis sat there a moment, felt a lightness in his chest, excitement and fear mixed.

‘Glyn, send two men with a change of horse. Tell them to ride and bring Morcant back. Quickly.’

‘Aye,’ Glyn grunted.

‘And give me that,’ Evnis said, pointing at a horn hanging from a hook on Glyn’s saddle.

‘Come on, then,’ Evnis said as he kicked his horse into a trot. Rafe caught up with him and they rode into the meadow.

Evnis crept through the long grass, occasionally catching a glimpse of the tower.